Letter to the Editor: Thoughts about alternative energy

Recently I visited with a friend whom, I thought, kept up with what is happening. When I attempted to discuss the coming of a nuclear power plant near Green River she knew nothing about it. That really surprised me.

But, I had wondered how much that news is given in ordinary news sources in all of Utah? (Because I live closer to where it would be, I probably have more possible sources of information about such.) However, I think it is very important that all Utahn's know about it and what may be positive or negative about having a nuclear power plant anywhere.

By things I have heard and seen, it seems that planners are trying to be careful in the way they are designing it. But I hear little or nothing about use/disposal of the spent nuclear materials. Also, I wonder what happens when, as in Japan, a disaster strikes---an earthquake or huge flood waters on the Green River.

Will then nuclear polluted water be sent to the Green River to destroy farming in the area and further downstream on the Colorado River. It would then flow on down the Colorado River to where it is a water source for Utah, Arizona, California and (if there is some left?) for Mexico.

After the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan I played happily with the idea that someday we would be driving atomic powered cars. We would just need a small box rather than the big engine. I have long since dropped the idea as too dangerous for all of us to carry around such a box and possibly have an accident of some sort. So what about a really big power source?